ericson sailboat models

Best Ericson Sailboats: A Complete Guide

Sailboats that stand the test of time are often classics and loved by many sailors. One example is looking for the best Ericson sailboats, dating back to 1964.

Ericson had an up and down history but still managed to produce quality boats. So which ones were the best out of their lineup before their demise?

Out of the thousands of sailboats this company put together, there are a handful that stand out. The best Ericson sailboats consisted of the 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 34, 35, 36C, E38, and 46 models. Each boat has a unique size and design, making them quite different from other brands at that time.

By 1999, the Ericson brand had been through enough over the years in terms of bankruptcy, ownership changes, and not keeping up with market demand by improving their boats. After poor sales that year, they decided to close shop for good, but still had plenty of produced sailboats to carry on the name.

According to experts in the sailing industry, Ericson sailboats were ahead of their time in the early 1970’s. They were a pioneer in the sailboat realm and built many classics that you can find for an affordable price today.

Table of contents

‍ Top 10 Ericson Sailboats

Through much debate, many sailors argue about which Ericson sailboat is the best. Many will claim a variety of factors influence trying to buy one today, such as price, condition, and size.

Depending on what suits your style of sailing and how you intend to use the boat will likely affect your decision on what is best. For Ericson, there are plenty of sizes and models to choose from.

1. Ericson 26

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The 26 model offered a good size for sailors having a small crew or operating shorthanded with a fractional sloop. This one is just shy of 26 feet long and has about a five-foot draft. These were designed perfectly for day sailing or light cruising.

Bruce King helped develop this one, which turned out to be a stiff and fairly fast boat. Since it has self-tailing winches, and furling headsails, and you can control the mainsheet from the cockpit, it is easy to operate.

2. Ericson 27

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The Ericson 27 debuted in 1971 with a displacement of 6,600 pounds and plenty of stability in the masthead sloop. The boat is roughly 27 feet long and sits about four feet in the water.

Many love this design since it navigated through choppy waters and responded to wind changes well. In addition, it can also sleep five comfortably.

There is enough sailing area to handle just about any condition and it is great for coastal cruising. If you have difficulty finding a crew or only want to be by yourself, this one makes it easy to handle all alone.

3. Ericson 29

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Another masthead sloop rig type, the Ericson 29 is about 29 feet long with a draft of 4.33 feet. This one reached popularity among those that wanted to enjoy cruising and doing it at night.

There are sleeping accommodations for up to five people and plenty of room to move around. This design was similar to other popular models they produced, but not as easy to operate by yourself like the other shorter models.

4. Ericson 30

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The Ericson 30 has an appeal like no other model in their lineup. They tweaked this design for about 10 years, making it one of the longer models they have played with.

It is nearly 30 feet long, has a fractional sloop, and sits nearly six feet in the water. It offers plenty of room to sleep five people and live aboard.

This is a great size to live on and learn about your boat without being too overwhelmed if you are new to that lifestyle. This one has become popular with sailors wanting to try that out.

5. Ericson 32

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There were multiple designs of the Ericson 32 , with two of the most popular ones being designed by Bruce King in 1969 and 1985. The one in 1969 had a lot more problems, but they are both classics at 32 feet in length and a six-foot draft.

The later model was built for four years and they produced 700 of them. You will likely see many Ericson 32s with another number associated with it due to different features like the keel type or the optional tail rig.

Both the older and newer models of the 32s are attractive boats. If you are wanting the better of the two in terms of look, handle, and speed, you cannot go wrong with the latter model.

6. Ericson 34

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The 34 footer installment was a good design with high-quality construction. This masthead sloop was nearly 35 feet and just over six feet of draft.

Depending on the year these were built, the exterior did not change that much in comparison to the interior. Out of all the boats that Ericson produced, they were most proud of the molding structure they used on this one.

The deck used a balsa core and had a plywood backing under the deck fittings to offer extra support. With the fiberglass hull, it provided one of the sturdiest options without compromising performance.

7. Ericson 35

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The Ericson 35 was similar to the 34, with some slight differences. This one is nearly 36 feet and sits around 6.17 feet in the water.

This one was a good cruiser, with some models meant for casual sailing. It handled offshore sailing very well and had the classic look.

The interior made this boat easy to live on and accommodate over five people. Whether you are racing or living on it, this boat could do it all.

8. Ericson 36C

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The 36C was another beauty offered by Ericson, coming in at 36 feet and a five foot draft. This cutter rig is a great size, but you can still operate shorthanded if you do not have enough people on board.

This boat can do it all with coastal cruising, day sailing, and living full time on it. With its fiberglass hull, it is one of the lighter boats for its size. You could even race this if you wanted.

9. Ericson E38

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If you are looking for a larger Ericson boat, you cannot go wrong with the E38 . At nearly 38 feet long and 6.5 feet in the water, it offers the best of both worlds for living space and is easy to handle.

With the masthead sloop, you can expect top performance while cruising. This is another quality build that you can live aboard too.

10. Ericson 46

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The largest boat that Ericson put together was the 46 , coming in just shy of 46 feet and about a seven-foot draft. With another masthead sloop design, you can rest assured the performance will be there.

There were actually two versions, one that is a racer and one that is a cruiser. Over a three-year period, only 20 of these were built. Depending on which one you find, there will be slight adjustments to the performance package.

Why Erickson Boats Are Popular

A lot of nautical miles have been made on Ericson boats over the years and for a good reason. They were quality boats that had a classic look, easy to handle, and were affordable.

Back in 1965, these were primarily cruising sailboats that later adapted to a hybrid of a family-oriented cruiser. Other models specifically included fin keels, excellent bustle, and spade rudders for better performance.

You will definitely find better modern boats that have more luxury, speed, and performance compared to something that was built in the 60s to the 80s. But for the price and nostalgia, it is hard to pass up a classic like Ericson.

What to Look for in Used Ericson Boats

As with any used boat, you need to thoroughly inspect it before trying to purchase one. This means going over the sails, mast, deck, engines, and anything else that catches your eye.

Potential Cracking

There have been some reports of very early models having cracks in the deck or mast. It is hard to blame them, since many boat designs have come a long way from over 40 years of being in the water. While very few have those reports, it is worth having it inspected by a professional before buying one.

Be Happy to Walk Away

Before committing to one, make sure that you know all of the histories before buying one. This will help you tremendously before you fall in love with its beauty.

Walking away and thinking it over for a few days can greatly help your buying process. You never know how urgent a seller might be, so you might end up getting a better deal on the price if you do decide to buy it after walking away.

Why an Ericson Sailboat Could Work for You

Ericson sailboats were unique luxury yachts that were built for speed. In addition, they had enough luxury on the inside that you could spend days or live on them for a period of time.

You typically can find one for a good price, which is why they are popular compared to other boats. With similar comparisons to other top-of-the-line sailboats, they make for a competitive option.

Luxury and Price

For those that want to buy an Ericson, they are all about luxury and performance for a good price . Since most models are over 40 years old, they are reasonably priced.

Depending on the size and model, almost all of the Ericson sailboats can be found within any budget. If you have experience fixing up boats, an Ericson can be worth its weight in gold.

Living Space

Customers that typically want an Ericson enjoy the amount of living space that it offers. On top of that, it provides the speed of comparable racers or cruisers that you will find today.

If you want a boat that allows you to live on to your own standards or race as you like, Ericson boats are the way to go. They offer the perfect blend of performance and comfort.

Stiff Builds

Ericson sailboats were strongly built and have a stiff feel to them. If a stiff boat is something you are after, the Ericson models are a good fit.

This means they have a different feel when sailing. If you were to buy one, it might take some getting used to if you have only handled newer boats.

Since Ericson boats have limited builds for each year that they were produced, you likely will not see them that often. They offer a nostalgic and classic look that only a few boats provide.

This creates a sense of urgency when buying. It is important to proceed with caution and check out the boat properly before you decide to jump on one.

The Rise and Fall of Ericson

Ericson was founded in 1963 and had a few molds to base designs of boats on to get started. After about a year and a half of poor production, they filed for bankruptcy since they were not hitting the mark with customers on their designs.

They were purchased in 1965 by Mark Pitman and Del Walton, who also hired Bruce King to begin designing their lineups. King is responsible for many of the best boats offered by Ericson, who even fine tuned some of his own creations a few years later.

Later in 1968, Pacific American Industries bought out Ericson and continued to produce similar models. CML group later purchased the brand and operated from 1971 to 1984.

Pacific Seacraft later bought the molds for various models, like Ericson 34 and 38 to move on with production. The brand continued to move forward with the same old designs without many changes.

Since the brand never pushed to market its products and management was lazy in trying to think of what the market wanted, sales dipped in the late 1990s. They never went boating shows or much of anything to promote their lineup. This caused Ericson to shut down for good.

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Daniel Wade

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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• Sailboat Guide

Ericson Yachts

Ericson Yachts was founded by a number of former employees of Columbia Yachts. With a few exceptions, the Ericson line was a collaboration with designer Bruce King. Though many Ericson models sold extremely well, the company had a turbulent history financially from the beginning with numerous changes in ownership. In 1968 the company became a subsidiary of Pacific American Industries and a new plant was built in Santa Ana , CA. By 1990, the Ericson brand had been acquired by Pacific Seacraft, which continued to build some of the later models until 1999, when it was retired. Original Address: 1931 Deere Avenue Santa Ana, CA 92705 USA MIC: ELY

Associations

• One Ton Class
• Carl Alberg/Bruce King
• Carl Schumacher
• George Olson
• Ron Holland
• William Crealock

41 sailboats built by Ericson Yachts

Ericson 25+

Ericson 35-2

Ericson 32-2.

Ericson 23-2

Ericson 26 (Crealock)

Ericson 23-1.

Ericson 28+

Ericson 31 Independence

Ericson 36C

Ericson 30-2

Ericson 35-1, ericson olson 34.

Ericson 32 (Scorpion)

Ericson 39 B

Ericson 31 Independence (Cutter)

Ericson 28-2

Ericson 38-200

Ericson 26-2

Ericson 34T

Ericson olson 911 s.

Ericson 32-3

Ericson 35-3

Ericson 381

Ericson 32-200

Ericson 34-2

Ericson 30+

Ericson 30-1

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In an attempt to carve out a slice of the booming trailersailer market, Ericson introduced King's sprightly 23-foot sloop in 1968. Although the boat was designed to be trailerable, this was before the advent of the SUV and it was never intended to be hauled behind the family station wagon and dragged up to the lake for weekend outings. It is a real boat masquerading as a trailersailer and most 23s remained happily afloat all season. It is nice, however, to have the option of leaving the boat on a trailer during the off-season, saving ever-increasing yard storage fees. And should you get transferred, downsized, outsourced or just plain sick of sailing in the same place, you can hitch the trailer to a husky vehicle and head to sunnier climes.

There were two versions of the 23. The MK I, as it came to be called, was built until 1971 with around 140 boats launched. The MK II was introduced after a four-year hiatus. Approximately 270 more boats were built during a three-year production run. Most MK IIs were built as shoal-draft centerboarders. Prices for most used models fall between $2,000 to $4,000, making the Ericson 23 an exceptional used boat value.

First impressions Both versions of the Ericson 23 are good-looking boats. Each has a sweet, subtle sheerline, moderate freeboard and a sexy, sloping cabintrunk with two small portlights. The most obvious difference between models, aside from the centerboard, is the rudder. MK IIs have a transom-hung rudder while the MK I has the more common rudderpost mounted through the cockpit sole. The MK II deck is also a bit more flush, and the cockpit coaming boards of the MK I were exchanged for molded coamings. Although the MK II has a higher aspect sailplan, the mast on both boats is a beefy aluminum section, especially for a small boat, and is a bit of a load to hoist from the trailer, at least until you get the hang of it. Ericson used the same mast section on its 23, 25 and 27 models. The rig on the MK II translates into around 240 square feet of working sail area and that provides plenty of horsepower for the 3,200-pound Ericson 23. The MK II also came with a fixed keel however, as noted earlier, most were centerboard models. Naturally these latter models were easier for launching from a trailer and the less than 2-foot board-up draft makes the shallowest channels navigable. An optional hoist allows easy adjustment of the rudder, reducing drag downwind and depth for thin water sailing.

Construction The 23 features a solid fiberglass hull and a plywood reinforced deck. It may be small but in many ways the 23 is built like a bigger boat, Ericson didn't scale back on construction scantlings for its small boats. The port side main bulkhead is plywood and solidly tabbed to the hull. The starboard side is part of the hull pan. On MK I boats these bulkheads support the mast in lieu of a compression post. On the MK II model a compression post was added. The cabin sole is a molded pan and part of a liner that incorporates most of the interior furnishings. The fixed fin keel is bolted in place with backing plates on the MK I and the few MK IIs with fixed keels had internal lead for ballast. The centerboard is constructed around a steel web core with lead plates weighing 86 pounds and fiberglassed over.

What to look for Bob Boe, a recently retired math teacher from Lynchburg, Virginia, sails his Ericson 23 on nearby Smith Mountain Lake. Boe, who recently completed an offshore passage with me, is a fine sailor and honed his skills on his Ericson 23. To say he is passionate about the boat is putting it mildly. He heads up the Ericson 23 association and has compiled a trove of information including copies of the original manual. You can contact him at [email protected] . When looking at old Ericson 23s, Boe suggests that you should check the main bulkhead for signs of rot and delamination, particularly the port side. The port side chain plates may have leaked and over the years softened up the plywood. Some boats will have a sister plate to help transfer the load between bulkheads. Boe also suggests that you carefully inspect the centerboard. He and a friend rebuilt his last year and it was not a small undertaking. Naturally, any boat that is more than 30 years old will have gelcoat cracking and crazing. Check the standing rigging, some old trailerable boats still have the original rig. On deck The cockpit is comfortable and well set up for easy and efficient sail handling. The Mark IIs, with the transom-hung rudder, have a bit more space and legroom. Some early boats had a U-bolt on the cockpit floor for attaching the mainsheet, although most were delivered with either an optional traveler or a cabintrunk-mounted triangle mainsheet. While the main halyard is typically raised at the mast, the genoa halyard and centerboard pendant are accessed from the cockpit. The boat is ideal for singlehanded sailing, as everything is reachable from the tiller. There are two good-size cockpit lockers. Also, MK I models have a cut out in the transom for the outboard while MK II models will typically mount the engine on a bracket. The side decks are narrow and bit tricky to navigate with the low slung flush deck. Lifelines were optional and there are few good handholds. However, you must remember that this is a small boat, the stays are just a quick reach away as you make your way forward, and swinging forward of the mast is just another step. Deck hardware is light but adequate. It is interesting to look at the original brochure, the option list includes pulpits, masthead light, even the outboard motor bracket.

Down below There isn't much down below on the 23 and what there is needs to be discovered from a deep crouch, headroom is just over four feet. But you are not buying an Ericson 23 to live aboard, at best the interior provides a couple of decent bunks for camping out, a place to get out of the rain and a small galley for heating up coffee and light meals. The plan is straightforward with a V-berth forward. MK II models may have a head tucked behind the partial port bulkhead. The saloon has facing settees and a table can be mounted on the bulkhead. The galley is aft to starboard and includes a sink and usually a single or double burner stove top. The interior is nicely trimmed in mahogany on early boats and later in teak. This joinerwork separates the Ericson 23 from other plastic, stamped-out trailersailers of the same period. The 23 feels like a real boat.

Underway "The second best thing about the Ericson 23 is the way she sails," Boe said. "She's a great performer and is still winning races." Incidentally, according to Boe the best thing about the 23 is "her drop dead gorgeous looks, she has a beautiful profile in the water." Boe races his 23 MK I aggressively and sails to his 222 PHRF rating consistently. With a 19-foot, 6-inch waterline length the hull speed is just under 6 knots. Boe notes that his boat balances easily, even with a big headsail. Some boats will have tracks long enough to flatten out a 150-percent genoa. "The boat really comes alive in light air with a 150-percent," Boe said. "Under most conditions, when the sails are trimmed well the helm has a light, two-finger feel with good feedback and little strain on the helmsman." He also notes that weather helm can build in a puff but is easily controlled by traveler or mainsheet adjustment.

Engine An outboard engine was not provided by Ericson, that was up to the owner and today's boats have a wide variety of engines perched astern. Boe exchanged his 7.5-horsepower Evinrude for a 5-horsepower Mercury to save a few pounds. "I find the 5-horsepower will push the boat along at hull speed at about four-fifth throttle in a reasonable calm," he says. "I only miss the bigger engine when motoring into a choppy sea." One key advantage of an outboard is that when they need service you can loosen the clamps and haul it home or to the shop.

Conclusion The Ericson 23 is an especially handsome boat that is easy and rewarding to sail. It is inexpensive to purchase and maintain. It's a perfect starter boat and as your skills develop it can be raced with some success. Best of all, it's a boat that you will be proud to call your own.

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A good step-up boat for a family on a tight budget; she may not be lavishly equipped, but she sails well.

Ericson Yachts has gotten a lot of mileage out of 35-footers over the years. Way back when in 1965, the first Ericson 35 was a typical CCA cruising boat, with a long keel and attached rudder. In 1969, the Ericson 35-2 was introduced. A Bruce King design—as was the original 35—the 35-2 was an up-to-date racer/cruiser, with swept-back moderate fin keel, pronounced bustle, and semi-balanced shallow spade rudder.

The 35-2 stayed in production until 1982, when it was replaced by the 35-3, a larger, more modern boat. The 35-2 was a very successful design—about 600 were built over 13 years. She was not an IOR (International Offshore Rule) design, but the boat rated reasonably well under the new rule, and raced competitively at the local level.

Early IOR boats were little different from their late-CCA predecessors. It took designers several years to develop the types of ill-tempered boats that we now think of as IOR designs. This allowed wholesome production boats such as the Ericson 35 to be reasonably competitive at the local level.

The 35-2 is a good-looking boat. She has a very strong sheerline, powerful forward but not overly springy aft. The stern is hollow in profile, and the stem profile is just convex enough to look like a straight line.

The deckhouse is low in profile, despite the relatively low freeboard of the boat. Aesthetically, the only thing you can quibble with is the overly wide transom, which is fortunately not very high. A lot of current boats, of course, have transoms as wide as the Ericson 35’s, and they practically drag the bottom of the transom in the water. The temptation to use these ugly modern rear ends as billboards has proven overwhelming, resulting in a whole new industry in the last decade: transom art. In comparison to many of today’s production boats, the 35-2’s transom looks positively dainty.

Sailing Performance

With a typical PHRF rating of 150 to 156, the Ericson 35-2’s performance is respectable, but the boat is no hot rod. She’s about the same speed as a Ranger 33.

You need to put the concept of speed into perspective. Despite a lot of “harumpfing” about the poor sailing qualities of modern boats, the fact is that the average fin-keel production cruiser/racer built today is faster—a lot faster—than good boats designed 20 years ago, such as the Ericson 35-2. Appendages and rigs are more efficient, wider beam gives greater sail-carrying ability in a breeze, and hull shapes are frequently more refined, as long as they’re not overly influenced by the rating rules.

The newer Ericson 35-3, a slightly larger boat—she’s closer to 36′ than 35’—is about 30 seconds per mile faster than the 35-2. Same designer and builder, same concept; faster, more modern boat.

At the same time, an older production racer/cruiser such as the Ericson 35-2 is likely to be a lot faster than today’s straight “cruising” boat. The Crealock 37, for example, is about 20 seconds per mile slower than the Ericson 35-2. “Fast” and “slow” are pretty relative concepts, particularly when you’re moving at a slow jogging pace.

Despite a 43% ballast/displacement ratio, the 35-2 is not a particularly stiff boat. Owners give the boat average marks for stability, frequently commenting that stability is not a problem as long as sail is reduced appropriately. Frankly, this is true on almost any reasonably high-performance boat. We’d shy away from any boat that claims to be able to carry full sail upwind in 20 knots of breeze: the boat is likely to be grossly underpowered in light air.

The “average” stability stems from relatively narrow beam and relatively shoal draft, and is certainly not a major concern. We would recommend that you make a real effort to stow heavy equipment as low in the boat as possible—the boat’s vertical center of gravity is somewhere around the height of the tops of the settees. You should also set up the boat so that she can be reefed as easily as possible.

You’ll find both tiller and wheel steering on the 35-2. The cockpit is divided into two sections by a full-depth fiberglass bridgedeck which carries the mainsheet traveler. On wheel-steered models, the helmsman steers from the aft cockpit, and the sail handlers work from the forward cockpit. In tillersteered boats, the helmsman sits toward the forward end of the main cockpit.

For best weight distribution, the forward helmsman’s position is better, but it’s tough to keep sheet tenders and the helmsman out of each other’s way if they’re both in that forward cockpit. When racing tiller-steered boats, the mainsheet tender will sit in the aft cockpit.

The aft-mounted wheel does clean up the forward cockpit nicely, giving you very good lounging space.

Several owners have added 400 pounds or so of additional ballast, and report that it makes the boat slightly stiffer without noticeably slowing her down in light air. There is plenty of room in the keel shell to add some extra ballast if you want, but we’d live with the boat for awhile before increasing the ballasting. At the same time, we certainly wouldn’t remove ballast that had been added, as long as the boat trims to her lines fore and aft.

As designed, the main boom is very high off the deck, and has a pronounced droop at its after end. This is purely a device to reduce rated sail area for racing. Most boats never had droopy-clewed mains built, and we wouldn’t recommend one. Unfortunately, the high boom can make it really awkward for a very short crew member to furl the sail or hook up the main halyard.

Some 35-2s we have seen have no main boom topping lift. Instead, a short length of wire is seized to the backstay, and hooked into the end of the main boom. This is totally unseamanlike, and potentially very dangerous. This system should be removed immediately from any boat, and replaced either with a permanently-attached topping lift, or a fixed vang such as the Hall Quik Vang.

The double spreader rig—unusual on a boat this small when the 35-2 was introduced—allows for fair tight sheeting angles, particularly when you add in the narrow beam of the boat. The spar section itself is quite rugged—not something you can bend very easily. You wouldn’t want to bend the rig much in any case, since the mast is deck-stepped.

This is a good all-around sailing boat, with no particular quirks either upwind or downwind. The boat is not as fast on any point of sail as a newer, more racing-oriented design, but she’s a good, solid sailer.

Several owners mention substantial weather helm when reaching in heavy air, but there are few boats that don’t suffer from this. Ease the traveler down, flatten the main, and the helm should be reduced.

Construction

The Ericson 35-2 has an uncored hull built in a split mold. The two halves of the hull are glassed together with 11 laminations of mat and roving. There’s nothing wrong with building a hull in two halves as long as the joint is adequately reinforced, and this is the proper way to do it. Nevertheless, you should carefully examine the hull centerline on the outside of any boat you are considering, checking for cracks.

Several owners in our survey report that leaking shroud chainplates have caused significant rot in the main bulkhead. Keeping chainplates watertight is a constant battle, particularly on a boat that is sailed hard. Problems should show up in the form of discoloration or delamination of the main bulkhead where the chainplates pierce the deck.

Because this is one of those problems that can cause hidden damage, we would think twice about buying a boat that showed a significant amount of chainplate leakage. Unfortunately, the damage may be hidden under covering fascia at the edge of the bulkhead in the main cabin, so some disassembly and probing may be required.

The chainplates are stainless steel straps, with integral welded caps designed to be bedded to the deck. If the bolts holding the chainplates to the bulkheads are snugged up tight, and if the caps are thoroughly bedded in either polyurethane or polysulfide, you should be able to keep the chainplates dry. However, it may require a one-time disassembly and removal of the chainplates to properly bed and install them. Running a bead of compound around the edge of the chainplate caps won’t do the job.

The ballast is a lead casting dropped into the molded fiberglass keel. Examine the leading edge and bottom of the keel carefully for signs of hard grounding which may have damaged the keel shell.

Early 35-2s are equipped with gate valves on through hull fittings, rather than seacocks. Gate valves should immediately be replaced with more conventional tapered plug seacocks or ball valve seacocks, which can be firmly attached to the hull. Depending on the strength of the stem of the through hull fitting to support the shutoff valve—as you do with gate valves—is a risky proposition. We’ve seen plenty of through hull stems break off when you’re trying to open a stuck valve. You can end up with the valve in your hand and a big hole in the hull, which is a bit of a problem if your boat happens to be in the water at the time.

Headsail sheet winches are mounted on fiberglass islands that are part of the deck molding. One owner reports that the plywood reinforcement in the top of the winch islands has rotted, the result of an improperly bedded winch. Plywood is frequently used by builders to add compression strength to laminates under hardware. No builder we know of takes the time to seal the core that is exposed when you drill for through-fastenings, so bedding is required.

Ericson 35-2 owners report an average incidence of hull blistering: about 30% have at least some hull blisters. Owners of two boats in our survey said their hulls were badly blistered.

Up until 1973, you could get any engine you wanted in the Ericson 35-2 as long as it was the Atomic 4 gasoline engine. After that a variety of diesels were offered as options until 1978, when a switch to diesels was made throughout the sailboat industry.

The most common diesel used in the boat in the mid-70s was the Westerbeke 4-91, a heavy 25-horse engine. But you’ll also see Volvo, Yanmar, and Universal diesels, as well as the Westerbeke Pilot 20.

There are two different engine placements. In early models, the Atomic 4 is tucked under the aft end of the dinette, in the main cabin. Owners give this installation high marks for engine accessibility, and it keeps the weight in the middle of the boat.

Boats with the two-settee main cabin have the engine mounted aft, under the companionway. The engine is far less accessible in this location.

Watch out for terneplate steel fuel tanks on older boats. These are a potential fire hazard, as they are very susceptible to rust-out. The fuel capacity of 22.5 gallons is adequate for any of the standard engines.

Several owners report having incorrectly-propped engines, although it is not clear whether these are original engines or replacements. With either the Atomic 4 or any of the optional diesels, the boat should do at least 5 1/2 knots under power in calm seas at normal cruising revs. Don’t count on using the stock 12 x 6 prop with anything but the Atomic 4. Likewise, the standard 3/4″ shaft is a little small in diameter for any engine bigger than the Atomic 4.

The original engine exhaust is a water jacket system, fabricated of steel. Pinholes eventually develop between the walls of jacketed systems. These can allow water back into the engine. We’d recommend replacing water jacket systems with a simple, modern waterlift.

Despite the narrow beam, the Ericson 35-2 has a reasonably roomy, well thought out interior. Actually, it has two somewhat different interiors.

Interior decor changed significantly over the years. Early boats have mahogany interiors: varnished mahogany bulkheads, mahogany trim, mahogany hull ceiling. Very late boats have the all-teak interiors that became the fashion by the late 70s.

The all-teak interior is very dark, although rich-looking. The best thing to do with the teak interior is to varnish it. Use matte-finish varnish for veneered surfaces such as bulkheads, and high-gloss varnish on all solid wood. Of course, this is a lot of work.

The main reason that builders went to teak interiors is that they save a fortune in finishing time and money. The higher cost of teak is more than offset by the time savings. To properly varnish the interior of this boat would take about 200 hours, while a coat of oil could be applied in two working days.

The mahogany interior of older 35-2s is substantially lighter in color then the teak interior. There is also more contrast between the face veneer of the plywood bulkheads and the darker color of the solid mahogany trim. The mahogany must be kept wellvarnished; an oil finish will not provide adequate protection for the mahogany surface.

If you’re tired of dark wood interiors, it would be fairly easy to paint out the varnished mahogany ply interior. Simply sand the surface to remove all trace of gloss, then paint with a low-luster finish such as Interlux #221 Cabin Enamel. Leave the solid wood trim varnished for a nice contrast.

Painting out teak veneer surfaces is more of a problem, since the teak is likely to be oiled. Paint adheres poorly to teak in the best conditions, and very poorly to oiled teak.

All models have a conventional forward cabin: Vberths, storage shelves over, drawers and bins below. The 25-gallon stainless steel water tank is also mounted under the berth. This is an inadequate water supply for a boat with five berths that is to be used for anything more than weekend cruising. Several owners report adding additional tanks. Don’t add them up forward, as it would change the trim of the boat.

Thanks to fine forward sections, the foot of the Vberth is extremely narrow. Several owners have built inserts to turn these berths into a double, but the job is complicated by a cutout at the head of the starboard berth, a feature designed to add elbow room.

In port in good weather, ventilation in the forward cabin is good, thanks to an opening overhead hatch. In rain, it’s not so good: no cowl vents.

Older boats have padded vinyl hull liners forward; newer boats have teak ceiling strips.

The head compartment is reasonably roomy, and has good storage. There’s a cabinet under the sink, and a locker outboard. There’s also a large, tall locker next to the toilet, to which the forward lower shroud chainplate is bolted. Check for signs of leaking around this chainplate.

Ventilation in the head leaves a lot to be desired, but could be improved by a larger cowl vent and a small overhead hatch.

A shower sump was standard, but not all boats were equipped with pressure water. If you install a shower, don’t forget to provide a sump pump. You don’t want your shower to drain directly into the bilge.

Both main cabin layouts are roomy and comfortable. Bruce King and Ericson wisely decided not to try to get a pilot berth into a relatively narrow boat, opting for more elbow room and a little storage outboard of the settees.

A settee stretches along the starboard side of the main cabin. The settee is pushed fairly far forward to get more room in the aft galley. A cutout in the starboard forward bulkhead provides a footwell, making the settee long enough to use as a berth.

There is a narrow shelf behind the settee—a good place to store books.

In the two-settee layout, there’s a drop-leaf table just off centerline, allowing comfortable dinner seating for four on the two settees.

The dinette layout has both plusses and minuses.

The fixed table can be lowered to form a big double berth, but in our experience, this type of arrangement is a nuisance. You need a big cushion to fit over the table, and that cushion has to be stowed somewhere when it’s not in use. The multiple cushions required to create the dinette double never seem to fit together quite right, resulting in a berth that is big enough, but rarely comfortable.

In addition, the offset dinette table is too far away to allow use of the starboard settee for dining, so the dinette is it as far as company for dinner goes. It seats four in reasonable comfort, but as in most dinettes, you end up playing footsie with your dinner partners a lot of the time, which may or may not be a bad idea.

In the dinette layout, the engine is shoe-horned under the aft seat. This was fine with the Atomic 4, but it’s hard to fit a diesel in the same space.

It’s also pretty hard to effectively sound isolate an engine mounted in the middle of the main cabin, but modern insulation materials can help a lot.

Ericson owners are divided on the merits of the two main cabin arrangements. The midships engine is easier to service, but you sacrfice a lot of walkingaround room in the main cabin. Look at both layouts before making a decision.

The aft half of the main cabin is virtually identical in both interiors. To port, there is a good-sized chart table, with enough space outboard to mount a reasonable array of goodies. The huge quarterberth forms the seat for the nav station.

To starboard is an L-shaped galley. Considering the vintage of the boat, the galley is quite good. There’s room for a three-burner gimbaled stove with oven (though you’ll find only alcohol stoves unless someone’s done a retrofit). Aft of the stove is a decent working surface, with big drawers below. A single deep sink is mounted in the counter just below the companionway, with a big locker beneath.

The icebox is tucked back into a corner, but it’s reasonably accessible, if a little small for extended cruising.

Both the battery selector switch and the electrical panel are mounted on the bulkhead aft of the galley. That puts them close to the battery, but the nav station would be a more logical location for electrical system management.

Main cabin ventilation is provided by a big overhead hatch, but there’s no provision for ventilation in bad weather.

Surprisingly, the cabin sole throughout the boat is the molded fiberglass floor pan, with teak ply inserts. Compared to the finish in the rest of the boat, this is an unattractive detail, smacking of cost-cutting. Finish in general is of good production boat quality.

Detailing is only average.

The interior of the 35-2 is not in any way innovative, but it is roomy, decently finished, and well thought out. There has been no attempt to cram in a superfluous number of berths—if you ignore the dinette double—and there is reasonable privacy for a family.

Conclusions

The Ericson 35-2 is a wholesome family cruising boat. She sails well, and has enough exterior teak trim to look nice if you want to go to the trouble to keep it up. The Ericson molded fiberglass toerail is not particularly attractive, but it’s a lot less maintenance than a teak toerail.

These were not lavishly-equipped boats. A lot of things that we take for granted today—multiple batteries, hot and cold water, a shower, self-tailing winches, double lifelines—were either optional or not available, particularly on early models. Some production shortcuts on older boats—steel fuel tanks, gate valves, small water tank—should be corrected at once, if they haven’t already been replaced.

Since a lot of these boats have been raced, you may find a 35-2 with up-to-date sailhandling equipment, bigger winches, and good sails. Because of big differences in age, engine, equipment, and condition, prices range from bargain-basement to close to newboat prices for entry-level boats of the same size.

This would be a good boat to move up to for a family with two children and a tight budget. The boat sails well enough to do a little club racing if you’re so inclined, and it’s the type of boat that serves as a reasonable teaching platform for older kids interesting in racing bigger boats. Unlike many modern cruisers, she’s not a clunky sailing houseboat.

The relatively shoal draft will allow you to get into places inaccesssible to boats with a deep fin keel, making the boat suitable for areas such as Florida, the Chesapeake, and the Gulf of Mexico. With a little thoughtful upgrading and after a careful survey, you could do some limited offshore sailing—trips like Florida to the Bahamas—while you develop confidence in the boat, and in yourself.

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Great article!

As you mention “well thought out” I find my favorite thing about my 1972 E35-2. Many boats will have a U-shaped kitchen area or a dedicated nav station, and though these might look good in photos they wind up taking a tremendous amount of space that doesn’t get used a lot.

The kitchen only takes up a few feet while providing a great deal of space to cook, and the seat for the nav station is the rear quarter berth.

We turned our dinette into a large lounging area and truly enjoy how roomy the interior is visually. The cut out shelf in the starboard bulkhead gives visual depth appearance to the interior almost creating the illusion that the walls are very thick. As you mentioned in your article the water damage should be assessed for all chain plate areas because the wood that is used in the bulkhead is not marine grade but instead hardwood interior ply. If any delamination is present they must be replaced. Since most of the vertical tension from the chain plates is within the 1st 1.5ft from the hull towards the centerline, we were able to replace the bulkhead for the first 18 inches leaving the rest of the bulkhead intact using a dovetail joint and fiberglassing both sides.

With new marine grade plywood and fiberglass on both sides and penetrating Epoxy in the plywood, our 50 year old boat is ready to make a run for Hawaii with new Bomar and Lewmar hatches, along with other refits.

Oh and she sails hands free at 20 degree to weather under full sail without need for an auto pilot, or locked helm. Bruce designed a boat that adores the sea in all conditions.

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